


To Oriande

by Kataury



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Galra are Demons, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ratings subject to change, half-demon keith
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25216339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kataury/pseuds/Kataury
Summary: Altea, the Kingdom of Light,  thrived under the wise guidance of King Alfor Altea, and stood strong against the Demonic Forces of the Galra thanks to the divine protection of the Paladins of Voltron. For a hundred years the beacon of humanity blossomed and stretched its protection to the far corners of the continent, but now it all threatens to come crashing down as dark forces threaten their borders, emerging  from the mountain ranges, razing villages to the ground and overwhelming their armies en masse with colossal monsters and dark magic. Now it’s up to a small team of misfit Squires, a runaway princess, and a  fallen paladin tied to a half-demon outcast to save their home.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Lance/Pidge (Voltron)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	To Oriande

**Author's Note:**

> “You make it sound too good to be true. You’re granting me nearly complete control in this contract, getting me out of this literal hellhole… and you even have the guts to suggest you can magically bring back a lost limb, but I have yet to hear what’s in it for you, Galra,” The Paladin sneered, his distaste for the demon dripping from his voice.  
> Violet eyes refused to break away from Shiro’s suspicious glare. Dark, ethereal, captivating, and dangerous. Demon orbs set into the mask of pale human flesh. A part of him ached to see a face so similar to his own, yet this demon was all the more dangerous because of it. The demon bastard finally blinked, breaking the enchantment as he looked away, gaze distant and longing. “I want you to take me to Oriande,” he whispered, just loud enough to reach his sharp ears. “Take me to Paradise and I will do anything, even serve you Emperor Zarkon’s head on a platter.”

It was dark by the time Pidge and Lance were able to drag Hunk up the winding trails of Mount Kerberos. The new moon draped the dense forest in dark shadows, with only distant stars and Lance’s lantern to light their way up the mountain trails. The night was filled with the symphony of crickets and rustling trees, tailing behind the trio’s journey up to their usual mountain ledge with a perfect view of the gorge below. The same gorge where it happened. This was their monthly ritual, started by Pidge, then enforced upon Hunk by Lance. Tucked far away in the farthest reaches of King Alfor’s dominion, the mountain range served as a wild and untamed zone full of demonic intruders for decades, an ever existing threat to the safety of Altea. Still, no demons had been encountered since their first expedition three months ago, but Lance was confident that tonight would be the night they found their first Galra. 

“Aren’t you guys tired of breaking the rules every time we have a day off duty?” Hunk whined, plopping his pack on the ground while Pidge jumped right to work setting up her rig of copper wires and glass balls. 

“Hunk, buddy, this might be the only chance we’re ever going to get to actually fight a Galra!” Lance explained for the tenth time. “Not to mention it might be our only chance to get out of squire duties. Just think! Pidge hunts us down a wandering demon lost in the woods, we bring a dead demon back to the Garrison and Abra Cadabra! Squires no more, but Knights of Altea! And boy, do the ladies love a man in uniform…” he heroically posed, lost in his fantasy of ladies and chivalry. Pidge rolled her eyes, ignoring his antics while connecting a glass globe to her contraption. 

The largest squire huffed. “So you say every time we come up here. But how would we even fight a Galra, Lance? What if it’s some giant demon that shoots flames from his hands or poison out of his mouth?” 

“I’m pretty sure there hasn’t been any record of Galra being capable of something like that,” Pidge replied. “So quit with the worrying Hunk, and stop touching the glass!” She snapped, slapping his hand away from her fragile glass globes. Precious hours and meticulous work were put into her reading apparatus, and tonight she needed it to be at optimal performance. Tonight was the New Moon. 

Hunk moaned, sprawling himself on the ground in despair. “This is such a bad idea you guys… No one even knows we’re up here. The best of the best were wiped out in this gorge and we’re just three squires wandering around while no one knows we’re here. We could be back at the Garrison sneaking late night snacks or well, you know, not risking death by demon. I can’t even see into the gorge that well! How will we even know where a demon is if there isn’t any light?” 

“Galra come out at night, and are boldest where night is darkest,” Pidge recited from their lessons, pulling the final piece of her work from her pocket-- an alchemist stone. “I suggest lowering the lights, Lance,” she warned. “Don’t want to draw any attention our way.” The lanky squire was quick to oblige, dimming the piece down a bit before crouching down beside her, his spyglass pulled from his pouch to help him keep lookout for any demonic prey. 

“They’re gonna be here tonight, I can feel it!” Lance whispered excitedly. Hunk shivered with fear, eyes locked on the small crystal pinched between Pidge’s fingers, carefully inserted into the center of her creation. Throbbing glows started to build from the stone, completing the transition of electricity to bring the squire’s creation to life. Smaller branches of the apparatus started to slowly rotate,glass globes gently swaying in the wind while the main frame tilted about like a compass finding north. 

“Huh,” Pidge grunted. “I thought there would be more fluctuations tonight,” she sighed, mildly put out at the lack of movement save minute tilts or little sparks, definitely not enough to point to what she wanted. 

“How does this track Galra again?” Hunk asked, hand reaching again to examine her bizarre creation. 

“Will you quit trying to touch it?” she waved his hand away again. “And I’ve told you both hundreds of times it’s tracking planar readings, not Galra. The High Priests said that demons come from the underworld Daibazaal. There’s only a few books that have ever explained how they cross over, and all of them have been wrong,” she insists. “But with my invention I have a way to predict when they cross the threshold, and tonight I’m going to prove it.” 

“Ooookay, but how does it work?” Hunk asked. “All you’re using is a single alchemist stone, which you haven’t let me look at either, and is the framework made of just copper? Why copper? How do you even know this will work?” He insisted, reaching again to poke at the main branch once more. 

“Quite touching my stuff!” Pidge yelled. 

“What the heck is that??” Lance interrupted, leaping to his feet just as the smallest squire was about to batter away at Hunk. Three eyes settled on the skies above, seeing the dark sky suddenly filled with waves of color. Prisms of rainbows danced across a dark stage, leaving the trio in awe. 

“What is it?” Lance pondered, voicing the thoughts in all their heads. 

“I… I don’t know,” Pidge answered honestly, but a growing light below her dragged her attention away. The small globes on her apparatus had started to rotate, their small lights building, the speed increasing until it started to whirl faster than her eyes could track. “What in the --” 

Her words were sucked away as a sound shattered the silent night. It was a concussive noise, as if a bottle had popped its cork, but the bottle ended up being the skies above their gorge, and the sound was magnified to a level that left their ears ringing and bodies twitching in fright. The bright lights of the night sky were sucked away into a rift that stretched across the gorge, at least a quarter-mile long as it darkened the trees and river below. Enchanting lights were replaced by a void, so dark and smothering that even the sound of the quiet night was silenced. All senses were shattered in the fact of such emptiness, yet they couldn’t look away from the window into another realm. 

Such overwhelming darkness shrunk and closed in a millisecond, restoring the starry sky to its former glory. The enchanting lights were gone as well, yet after being blinded by darkness, the world around them seemed bright as day. Bright enough for the three to notice something falling. 

“It’s a galra!” Lance hissed excitedly, too shaken to speak any louder. His eyes tracked the figure, tracking its descent from the starry skies down to the gorge below where it landed in the river with a splash. “We have to check it out!” Lance insisted, whirling on his heel to scoop up his lantern and race down the mountain. 

“Lance! Wait up!” Pidge called, a little more confident to speak up now that the void had dispersed. She chased after him, with a still shaken Hunk right on her heels. 

“This is such a bad idea,” He groaned. 

* * *

Shiro laid on the banks of the river, wet but awake, and his eyes locked on the skies above him. It was so much to take in. The air was fresh, smelling of cool mountain pine and crisp evening air. And the stars! So bright and alive, they greeted him with their twinkling dance to welcome him home. He was back. He was alive and breathing on the cool river rocks of Altea. At least for now. 

“It’s beautiful,” a familiar voice murmured beside him. The paladin craned his head to locate the source, seeing his new shadow standing several feet away, head craning up towards the skies. His hood had fallen back, revealing pale features and releasing his long hair, wild and dark as the void from whence they emerged. The starry sky granted Shiro a better view of his clothing-- strange, otherworldly, and fitting for his demonic savior. “What are they?” he asked, turning to meet his scrutinizing gaze. 

“Stars,” Shiro finally answered, turning his face back to the night sky. “They’re called stars. I never thought I’d see them again…” he felt warm tears start to trail down his cold face. The revelation was slow to arrive, mostly because he still didn’t quite believe it. Even the rocks and sand beneath his hands felt incredible and he wanted to laugh, cry and dance all at the same time. Had he the energy he probably would have done the dancing part. He allowed his eyes to close, content to rest for a while longer. 

“Will you take me to Oriande now?” that bothersome voice again. He responded with a tired sigh. “I’ve returned you to Altea, which means you can take me there as agreed.” the demon persisted. 

“I just escaped the pits of hell mostly in one piece. Less than five minutes ago I entered a deal with a devil and I’m just now remembering the feeling of water on my skin. I’m seeing constellations I never thought I’d see again. As far as I’m concerned we’re already in paradise.” Still, Shiro knew he couldn’t linger here, tired as he was. The chill night would seep into his bones and drag him into the void again. He had to get moving. 

The sound of stones and gravel crunched underfoot until unearthly eyes loomed above him, examining his body curiously. “You’re not dying already, are you?” He offered a hand to assist his new master from the shore. 

The fallen paladin snorted, ignoring the offered limb and pushing himself to his feet. He attempted to brush off what dirt and filth he could from his rags. “Not yet, demon. You won’t break free of me that easily.” 

His companion withdrew, eyes hooded as he folded his arms and turned away submissively. “What next then, paladin?” 

Shiro didn’t get a chance to reply as the two were interrupted by a new voice. “Away Galra scum! Paladin Lance is on the job!” An arrow punctured the sand near his feet, dragging his attention to the narrow passage of the gorge where three human figures crowded together. The flash of a single lamp revealed their young faces and squire uniforms. Garrison squires, not even adopted by a knight yet. 

“At ease, squires,” he barked, feeling the aftertaste of nostalgia on his tongue. “You shouldn’t shoot blindly at an ally, let alone another human.” 

“What? I’d know that voice anywhere… L-Lord Shiro?” Hunk exclaimed, raising his lantern to stretch the light farther, capturing the gaunt features of the long lost paladin. “It is you!” Lance lowered his bow, mouth gaping in awe. Pidge rubbed at her eyes to check if she was hallucinating. 

“This isn’t some Galra hoodoo, right?” She demanded, cautiously approaching Altea’s hero. Her lankier companion was much bolder,, confidently striding towards Shiro while sheathing his bow. “Are you the person who fell through that giant rift earlier?” 

Lance’s courage was enough to keep Hunk at his heels, carrying the light towards Shiro and exposing his new companion. He halted at the sight, taking in pale skin and strange garb. “Who’s that?” 

Shiro glanced behind him to acknowledge his servant. “This De--er-- Man, uh, helped me. He… pulled me from the river. After seeing me fall from the rift.” The demon cocked a single brow at his master but made no comment. Their open stares did little to reassure the paladin that they believed him, until finally the lankier lad broke their silent judgment. 

“Well, You look like you’ve been to hell and back, sir,” Lance said, gesturing to his filthy rags covering a bruised and torn body. “I’m Lance by the way, squire at the Northern Garrison in Balmera.” 

The smallest of the trio was quick to join them. “I’m Pidge, and the big guy’s Hunk. Both of us are in the same class at the Garrison. Lord Shiro, do you know what happened to the rest of your team?” She asked anxiously. 

“Uh, guys, I think we should hold off on that part,” Hunk interrupted. “Look!” He pointed to the sky. Five heads craned skyward to see the stars rippling in preview to what they already knew was coming. 

“We need to get out of here,” Shiro’s demon hissed. “They’re following us.” 

“What is this? Did you bring them here?” The paladin demanded just as the sky ripped apart again. Unlike the first time, all five were in direct line of the hole forming above them. The concussive pulse threw them all to the earth, their cries lost as the mountains themselves seemed to bend and creak under the weight of the sky torn asunder. The void loomed overhead, covering them in a deep darkness that made Hunk’s lantern seem insignificant and dim, the rushing water from the river was mute and quiet, and the air felt thick and heavy with the presence of the portal. It was a horribly familiar feeling, sending shudders up Shiro’s spine and forcing him to act. 

“It’s not safe here! We need to retreat!” He shouted as loud as he could, leaping to his feet as the void started to come alive with violet lights piercing through the darkness. It was a familiar sight, and his dread only built as the lights started to exponentially grow in number. They were coming. He dragged Hunk to his feet while pushing the three back where they came. Pidge stumbled ahead with her male cohorts close behind. The paladin didn’t check to see his demon follow, knowing he would stick close whether he wanted him to or not. They picked their way across the rocky shores, weaving through boulders and up the slippery slope towards the narrow path. It was long ago, but Shiro recognized the route that would deposit them on the mountain path, still more than 20 miles from the Arus province below. The earth beneath their feet rocked again, this time accompanied by the sound of a distant and unearthly roar, loud enough to shake free what wildlife remained hidden in the gorge. Birds took flight from the trees, desperate to escape danger. 

“Looks like you might just get your wish to fight a Galra demon after all, Lance!” Pidge panted as they spring them down the switchback mountain paths. 

“One or two galra would be a piece of cake, but a whole fleet of Galra? No thank you!” The lanky squire replied, using his longer stride to pass her and take the lead down the path. “Just wait ‘til we report this to Commander Iverson though!” 

“Will we even make it in time? What if demons find us out here? I heard they can smell humans from a mile away and never lose a scent once they catch it,” Hunk worried, his lantern dimmed as low as he dared to keep them from drawing any attention their way. “I don’t wanna die out here. I never even got to try Shay’s mulberry tarts, and that monster sounded huge. We are so dead! So dead, so dead, so dead!” 

“Just focus on running,” Shiro ordered, “I know a place we can rest at the base of the mountain.” He risked a glance behind him to see the rift still looming in the sky, darkening Mount Kerberos. The black canvas continued to light up with wave after wave of purple stars, announcing the arrival of each demon. The squire named Lance was right, there had to be a least a fleet, if not a whole army.  _ But how did they come through the rift? It was closed once we passed through.  _ He wasn’t allowed time to ponder as he heard a howl, closer this time. “Don’t stop!” He urged. 

Moments later they reached the base of the trail, breathless and sweating. Shiro took the lead, following old memories as he pushed his way through the dark brush. The forest had become deathly silent, nocturnal denizens fell quiet and the mountain winds were still, all in fear of the otherworldly trespassers that were stalking the mountain side. The squires were huddled together around the safety of their dimmed lantern -- the ‘so-called hermit who followed them lingering at the edge of the light leering into the darkness-- when they heard Shiro call them over. 

The paladin greeted them at the base of an outpost built into a large spruce tree, it’s square form barely outlined in the dark blue sky and web of branches. He invited them to ascend, giving each a boost up to the lowest branch hanging several feet above the ground. With a bit of climbing and scrambling their party finally pulled themselves over the wooden platform. As the first to reach their haven, Pidge had a bit more time to examine the dusty lookout. The wooden platform wrapped around the thick spruce trunk with a railing shielding them from tumbling over the edge. A fair amount of shed needles and dirt coated the ground, hinting at the months of disuse. She rubbed her hands over the smooth wood, feeling the seamless grain with no cracks or nails under hand. 

“This was formed by Olkarion magic,” she mused softly, waiting for Hunk to increase their lantern to expose their surroundings. The new light revealed that the railing was made of living branches, expertly manipulated and woven into sturdy barriers, whereas the platform itself was made from the trunk itself, the organic matter stretched and pulled several yards out. 

“Sharp eye,” Shiro noted, leaning his weary body against the rough trunk. “My team and I made this place as a temporary base during our scouting mission. I’m not surprised it’s still standing. Professor Holt was an incredible Green Paladin,” he sighed, shivering as his damp clothing started to cool his body. If he wasn’t so exhausted from their sprint down the mountain he would be collecting branches to build a bed covering.. 

“Are you sure they won’t find us up here? They don’t know how to climb trees or something?” Lance asked as he peeked over the edge of the railing. Hunk anxiously pacing in circles around the trunk.

“We’ll take turns keeping lookout,” The hermit replied. “But more importantly, your paladin needs to rest and recuperate.” That dragged the squires attention towards the trunk to see Shiro shivering in the cold. Hunk was the first to jump into action, shrugging off his enormous pack and digging into its depths. 

“What do we do?” Lance asked no one in particular, inspecting his shivering hero. “Ack! He’s soaking wet!” 

“Nix the wet clothes and wrap him up in this,” Hunk ordered, tossing a blanket at Pidge. “If we had some fresh cut branches we could try building a bed, but as it is we’ll lay on either side of him to share body heat.” 

“Uh… I’ll let you do the undressing and wrapping,” Pidge excused herself, volunteering to stand on the other side of the tree and hold the articles of clothing while Lance got to work. 

The drowsy paladin did his best to assist-- lean forward, raise his arms, and feel the filthy rags get stripped from his body. The brief exposure to the night air was replaced by the rough fabric of Hunk’s blanket. A moment later he felt a warm presence at his side, looking over to see Hunk sitting close under the blanket, his body radiating next to him. Pide leaned on his other side, keeping her back to his shoulder while she stared into the shadows of the forest. He spotted his demon in the corner of his eyes, silently guarding the other side of their party. 

“Wish we were closer to Arus,” Lance grumbled, taking the first watch for the night. “Even if we survive the night it’ll take us nearly all day to get back to the town.” 

“We’ll be safe once the sun rises. Demons don’t do as well in the sun,” Pidge replied softly, feeling herself warm up underneath Hunk’s sturdy blanket. 

“That’s not true, unfortunately,” Shiro murmured. “The sun slows them down, but they can still hunt us… we’ll need to be careful.” he sighed, allowing warmth, human warmth, to lull him into a deep slumber. Hunk and Pidge soon joined him, soft snores soon rumbling through the treetops, and somehow encouraging a few crickets to pick up their song again. 

Several feet away his shadow kept silent vigil, keeping his ears open for any noise while he allowed himself to be enchanted by the beauty of the starry night sky. 

"So these are stars..." he whispered. "You were right, dad... they're beautiful." 

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings Voltron Fans! I've wanted to do this idea for quite a while but never took the time to start, until now. Please be aware that I will be going back and forth between this and another longfic work for a different fandom. I will be doing my best to maintain consistent updates in my routine, but know that I'm always open to feedback and suggestions considering I'm an amateur who just enjoys writing as a hobby. 
> 
> If you have any questions or thoughts about my little au world, you can message me on Tumlbr. I am... Kataury :D 
> 
> Thanks again for reading!


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